Indian Americans gather in grief, mourning over Kashmir attack

In the shadow of Washington, DC's iconic monuments, a community gathers in grief. Heads bowed, flowers clutched in trembling hands, they walk in a silent procession, a solemn testament to lives violently cut short half a world away in a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam.

"We came with heavy hearts today," whispers Priya, a resident from the DMV, her voice breaking as she holds aloft a photograph of one of the victims and reminisces about the dark days when Kashmiri Hindus like her were asked to leave the Kashmir Valley.

The DMV refers to the metropolitan area encompassing the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia, also known as the National Capital Region.

"I want to make sure the world finally acknowledges what has been happening to Kashmiri Hindus for decades. I have a lot of Kashmiris here with me. We are shot at point-blank range, and we still go around making stories, spreading false narratives that they just got caught in the line of fire. No, they did not. They were singled out. They were identified," she said.

"They were asked to recite the Kalma. They were asked to pull their pants down in front of the Muslims. So please, this is a horrific time. Let humanity awaken," she added.

The terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir on April 22 has sent shockwaves through the Indian American community across the United States. On Sunday afternoon, several dozen mourners assembled at the National Monument in Washington, DC before making their way to the Lincoln Memorial in a moving display of solidarity and remembrance.

Saffron, Indian, and American flags fluttered side by side in the spring breeze as the procession moved forward, symbols of lives and identities that spanned continents but were united in grief.

The vigil in Washington DC is just one of many that have taken place across the DMV area and indeed throughout the United States in recent days. Prayer meetings, candlelight vigils, and community gatherings have become spaces for collective mourning and reflection.

(ANI)